Lucas is anxious to hear good news from the labor room. He looks at his wristwatch, the time is 9:45 am 27th of May, 1959.
Isabelle has been in the labor room for over twenty-four hours. Lucas is worried and exhausted, though the doctor told them that the first pregnancy often has the longest labor. He only sleeps for a few hours.
It was not allowed during that period, allowing the father-to-be to stay in the delivery room with his wife. Lucas is overwhelmed and tired, he just returned from where he went to get a coffee when a nurse came over to congratulate him.
Isabelle has given birth to a bouncing baby boy weighing eight-pound-and-six-ounce. Lucas is extremely happy and asks if he can see them now.
The nurse says he can see them but should understand that Isabelle needs rest. She then directs Lucas to Isabelle’s room and tells him that she will bring the baby to him.
Lucas thanks the nurse and goes in to see Isabelle who is sleeping. He walks closer to Isabelle’s bed and stares at her. He kisses her and sits by her bed.
The nurse comes into the room with the baby. Lucas is overjoyous as he collects the baby from the nurse. The nurse congratulates Lucas once again as he carries the baby.
Lucas smiles at his baby and glances at Isabelle on the bed. She’s waking up at this moment and opens her eyes slowly. She tells Lucas in an unclear voice that they have a son.
He asks her if she wants to see the baby and he takes him to her on the bed. He kisses both the mother and the son. Isabelle kisses the baby on the forehead and calls him Lucas Junior.
Lucas tells Isabelle that he has been thinking of something since he saw the baby. He casts Isabelle’s mind to the day she told him about the pregnancy. He reminds her that he met Maurice Richard that night.
Isabelle smiles and asks him what he is trying to insinuate. Lucas replies that he would love to name the boy Richard.
Isabelle also corroborates the idea and says it sounds like a strong name: Richard Lucas Clarkson. She tries calling the boy the name immediately.
Lucas informs Isabelle that her mother told her parents that their two daughters are giving birth. He says France gave birth at home as they couldn’t take her to the hospital because her contractions were too close.
Her mother-in-law and a nearby doctor assisted with the delivery. France also had a baby boy and the delivery was easy. Lucas says he has to call his parents right away, that they would like to hear about their grandchild.
Isabelle tells him to tell them that she is fine with her baby. Lucas kisses the two of them and leaves to go and call his parents.
Lucas and Isabelle are a wonderful couple who enjoy their family life together. A year later, Isabelle gave birth to a second son on the 3rd of June, 1960.
The baby is named Johnny William Clarkson after Lucas’s father and his brother who died at birth. They are still in Lucas’s parents’ house.
Isabelle learns to drive and works at a sewing factory in Alexandria. The following year, Isabelle gave birth to their third son on the 1st of September, 1961. The boy is named Steve James Clarkson after Lucas’ best friend and his older brother.
After the third baby, the doctor advises them not to give birth again. He says Isabelle has experienced three very hard deliveries and it will be difficult for her or the baby to survive another one.
Isabelle wants more children but understands that her health is more important and agrees with the doctor. Lucas also doesn’t want to lose his wife.
Lucas and Isabelle discuss the increased population in the house though they enjoy living there. They then decide to move out for the convenience of the family.
They find a nice country house not too far from Alexandria that suits the family. James and John paint the apartment for them while Debra and Elizabeth sew curtains for their windows and arrange boxes of dishes.
Lucas and Isabelle are happy that they are now on their own, after living with Lucas’s parents for three years. Lucas continues to work with his father and has a part-time job because jobs are hard to find.
He has sold his Studebaker because it needs a lot of money for repairs. Lucas finds it difficult to part with the car, but his family is more important.
A year after they leave Lucas’s parents’ house, Lucas and Isabelle are living happily with their three boys in their apartment.
Lucas plays with the children while Isabelle sits down knitting and listening to music. Lucas loves to spend some time with his boys and cherish his wife.
It has been Lucas’s dream to become a Class A Mechanic which he always told Steve his friend. He has not been able to venture into this because his father wishes he become a farmer like him.
He now works more as a mechanic than a farmer. He is helping Claude Giroux, a Class A Mechanic repair cars full-time at the garage.
He has not been making much money though, he knows much about auto mechanics and is not certified yet. Lucas still works part-time with his Dad and James, his brother.
John and James are now in the logging business and Lucas works in the bush which is his least favorite job. He just has to do something to take care of his family as he doesn’t want to depend on his father’s income.
Isabelle also works in the sewing factory to make ends meet and not to depend on Lucas’ father’s money.
In the Spring of 1962, Isabelle informs Lucas that she is pregnant again. This shocks Lucas and the two of them are afraid because of the earlier warning from the doctor against another pregnancy.
The fear envelops them for seven months till Isabelle delivers the baby girl on the 19th of January, 1963. Isabelle narrowly pulls through the delivery and she is hospitalized for two weeks under close watch. Isabelle has a hemorrhage and is very weak.
Lucas sits on the bed beside Isabelle carrying the little girl. He tells Isabelle that he wants to name the girl Marybeth. This was coined from his sister’s and mother’s name.
It shows that Isabelle doesn’t like the name and she says she likes the girl’s name formed from their names. So, she wants the girl called Lucy Isabelle Clarkson. Lucas expresses his love for the name and kisses Isabelle.
One summer day, Debra’s sister, Diane and Jim, her brother-in-law visit Lucas and Isabelle as they do every summer. Lucas likes to chat with Jim whenever he comes around because of his experience with cars.
He can build sports cars from scratch. He is also a Class A Mechanic who owns his garage in Uxbridge, Toronto.
Jim knows about Lucas from James, how he works at a garage, and learning a lot about mechanic work.
In the course of their conversation, Lucas says he enjoys the mechanic work and Claude has taught him a lot and always appreciates his work.
Jim then proposes that he should come to Uxbridge to attend school, get his certificate, and then work with him. He says he is looking for a good mechanic he can trust and he sees the potential and the passion in Lucas.
Jim promises to pay his tuition and there is a country house very close to the garage for rent for his family to stay in.
Lucas appreciates the kind gesture of Jim but says he needs to consider some other factors as they affect his family. Jim responds that he should take his time and think over it and that the offer still stands.